Breastfeeding is hard. Very hard. With very little support available to new mothers. And then when you are successful with breastfeeding there’s almost NO support for extended breastfeeding.

From the start I had a very hard time breastfeeding. My little guy seemed to be eating non stop, he was eating for an hour at a time, and I was in so much pain every time the baby ate unless I used a shield. On top of that, I had no idea that the only part of that that was normal was that the baby was eating every couple of hours. It was not normal that he was eating for so long or that it hurt. What I did know was that I needed help. But I had no idea where to find it.

I called the hospital where I delivered but they had no resources to offer me. I called my insurance company but they too had no resources nor did they have any listings for lactation consultants who were covered by my insurance. How could my insurance company NOT know who or what services they covered?! I really felt like I was up against a wall. No wonder I was feeling depressed!

Luckily, I had an amazing breastfeeding friend who I reached out to for support and advice. She introduced me to a support group on social media that completely changed everything for me. With their support and guidance I found an amazing local lactation consultant that helped me fix all the issues I was having over three visits. AND she informed me of the services that were covered my my insurance. What a relief it finally was to be able to successfully breastfeed and enjoy the precious gift I was giving my baby. If it wasn’t for my friend and the support of those women, I’m not sure how our breastfeeding journey would have gone. I’m happy to say we made it 14 months. 6 months exclusively breastfeeding and the rest a mix of solids and breast milk.

I’m not writing this blog to scare you about breastfeeding. I’m writing it to let you know breastfeeding is not as easy as it looks, it is normal to have difficulties, and there IS support out there for you. Please know that you don’t have to do it alone. If you are not as fortunate as I was to have a friend to reach out to, don’t hesitate to turn to social media. There are so many knowledgeable and supportive breastfeeding groups out there willing to point you in the right direction. In the meantime, here is a video detailing the 4 resources every breastfeeding mother needs.

Oh, and one last thing. Don’t let anyone tell you when you need to stop breastfeeding your child. Yes, I said child, not baby. Because guess what? Breastfeeding isn’t just healthy for “babies.” Good luck, mamas!